Broken spirits
by periwinkle potpie
Summary: Wally is dead, dick blames him self and in doing so has abandoned his team. what happenes when conner has had enough?
1. out of darkness -1

It had been weeks since nightwing had left his room in mount justice. The door would be bolted shut for those who tried to open it and the comms would be silent to those that spoke into it. He had recused himself since Wally's death. M'gann would leave food out nightwings door but like always it would go untouched. Beastboy and blue beetle would try to stir conversation through the door only to be met by further silence. In the darkness of his room nightwing would sit in the corner and on the floor, the luxury of a bed was something he wouldn't allow himself. In the boy wonders mind it was his fault Wally died and for that he should be held responsible. There were odd sprits of inspiration that would hit him where he thought of some deluded way he could possibly get wally back, this was apparent by the scrawling's of paper that were strewn on the floor and equations written on the walls. But when realisation would sit in that nothing would work to bring his best friend back his head would hang low and the wounded hero would go to his spot in the corner.

Another week went by, everything exactly the same as always. Whenever someone passed his door they would knock and say something that was going on in the outside world and three times a day the smell of food would woft through the bottom of his door. Sitting idly by and never joining in the other team mates attempts to rouse the boy wonder was superboy. If he wasn't on the couch watching the out of tuned channels he was working out or in his own room. 'God! Why is rob acting like a like a spoilt child! We all grieved and were still trying to accept Wally is gone…. It doesn't help when our leader hides in a hole. It's almost as if we lost two people instead of one' Conner balled his fists as his eyes darted to nightwings door. "I'm getting him out" the Jr. Kryptonians words were dead panned but they caught the ears of everyone in the tower.

M'gann had dropped the glass pot she was cooling in and hurriedly glided over to Conner tugging on his shirt almost panic stricken. "No! No, you can't… nightwing is grieving in his own way. You can't just go in and take him out! What if it messes him up further!?" superboy shoved M'gann hand off his shirt and cast her cold stare. "How do you know he isn't dead already!? It's almost been a month! He hasn't eaten, showered or even spoke to anyone! Forget the fact he hasn't left the room!" floating mid-air M'gann only stared on as Conner stomped hot headedly over to nightwings room. A hefty knock could be heard on the door. "Nightwing! If you don't open this door so help me! I'll break it down and drag you out myself!" fists clenched Conner stared at the door as his temper progressively rose. He didn't hear anything, movement nothing. "Right! I warned you! I'm coming in! Rrrgaah!" as Conner punched at the doors joint with one hand his other was forced into the seam as he worked on pulling the metal away. "Conner stops!" M'gann yelled out but her words fell on deaf ears.

All the yelling brought both aqualad and robin running to the scene. "M'gann what's wrong? You –"aqualad was stopped in his tracks as a bewildered Tim nudged the Atlantean in the ribs and stared on. "He's bringing nightwing out…." Tim's words were very softly spoken but everyone heard through the sound of grunts and tearing metal that was coming from superboy. "He's done it…." Tim remarked in almost disbelief as the door was thrown down the hall and crashed into the wall. "I'm coming in…" superboy stated. Looking in the room it was dark the kryptonian couldn't make out anything in the light that came from behind him. Flicking the switch once, twice three times more a small fizz was heard but no light. Walking in he let his eyes focus as he looked to his feel at the sound of smashed glass. 'What was he doing?' looking up his eyes scanned the room as they were now partially adjusted as they stopped on a balled figure. The form didn't move as he watched it, it simply stayed still. "I'm taking you out now nightwing, fight me all you like you're coming with me" the teen stated as he walked over and picked the boy wonder up. An instant sadness came over Conner as he had the almost comatose man in his arms. 'He's skin and bones… was he wanting to die?!' carrying him bridal style out of the room he felt the male twitch in his arms as the light flooded over his body. Looking down Conner saw the beat and battered leader. He looked so tired and gone… no one said anything when they came out but Conner looked at dicks expressionless glazed over eyes and frowned.

"I shall get him some fresh clothes…." Kaldurr whispered as he walked off. "I'll make some soup, come on Tim you can help…" M'gann grabbed for Tims hand as she lead him away. Watching for as long as he could Tim didn't let dick out of his sight until he had to. "You're taking a shower nightwing…" still he said nothing and with that Conner walked through the young justice strong hold towards the showers. "I had to do this, you could have died. I don't think we can manage losing two people we care for…" Conner didn't look down but carried on walking.

Reaching the shower room nightwing was placed on one of the benches as Conner walked over and started a shower up. Walking back he saw nightwing still didn't move, 'this is gonna take time…. He needs it though' standing inform of nightwing Conner crossed his arms as he looked at the non-moving form. "Right, you can undress yourself or I can do it for you"


	2. trapped

Sitting there in silence nightwing simply stared at the joints in the floor not saying a word or moving a muscle. "Have it your way…" Conner retorted as he started to gingerly remove the uniform from his team mate. The shoes were chucked across the room and Conner undid the zipper and started to pull the uniform down dicks body when he stopped seeing the defined bones from his spine and ribcage. Conner's heart sunk further seeing how long he allowed dick to sulk. As he tentatively pulled the rest of the uniform off Conner threw it across the room as well. Last was his mask, pausing before he removed it Conner stared into nightwings vacant eyes as he felt so heartbroken not getting a response. Conner went to put one of nightwings arms around his neck so he could at least encourage him to walk but stopped again. There were slashes, deep long crimson slits from elbow to wrist. At this moment Conner wanted to drop nightwing and yell at him at how stupid and careless he had been but swallowing hard he knew he couldn't do it, not now not in his current state.

Holding his hand and waist Conner couldn't help but let the cuts burn their way into his mind. Now in the cubicle the water washed over him as he set dick on the seat. "Are you going to wash yourself? Or do I have to do that to?" blinking through the water as it washed over his face Conner stared at dick. The once proud defined happy leader of his team was sat there in his boxers thin as a twig and all but dead to the world. "Right" not getting a response from nightwing superboy grabbed for the shampoo and started to scrub it in his hair when he felt lumps and cuts under his calloused fingertips. 'What in gods earth was he doing to himself in their!?' not wanting to imagine anything he rinsed the now pink tinted soap suds from his hair and proceeded to lather up the bath sponge and clean the rest of his body. It didn't take long for Conner to finish cleaning him as well as taking note of every cut, scratch and abrasion on his body.

Turning off the shower nightwing simply stayed as he was un moving and unresponsive. Going to grab a couple of towels Conner saw a pair of sweats set to the side. 'Thanks Kaldurr' a small smile came to Conner as he picked the garments up and walked back to dick. 'He's moved!' a stunned expression was on Conner as he looked at nightwings face was buried in his hands while he hunched over. Kneeling down Conner placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, come on I got some fresh clothes and towels." He didn't respond, but Conner had some hope now. Smiling very softly Conner dried the hero and gently got him dressed. Picking him back up bridal style Conner walked him out to the medical bay to dress the wounds.

-Elsewhere in the base-

"Their, all finished! You can turn the light on gar!" M'gann had just fitted in a new bulb and was ready to give nightwing some fresh bedding until Garfield turned the light on. Bringing her hand to her mouth M'gann dropped to her knees as she looked at the room. Bloody hand prints on one wall and smash indents on the wall some in the form of a fist and another that was hard to identify. Looking at the floor where the smashed bulb was some of the larger shards of glass were caked with flakes of dried blood. "M'gann…. Get out of their…" Beastboy pulled up the Martian and forced her out of the room. "Hey Tim! Can you give me a hand on cleaning dicks room!?" Tim had been stirring the soup trying to not think of nightwing until he was called. Perking up robin ran over"yeah!" stopping at the threshold Tim winced looking at the state of the room. "M'gann needs a break…" walking in Tim picked up the papers and looked at the calculations.

If was hard for gar and Tim to fix up his room and they couldn't do anything for the damage on the walls but they both felt glad in what they did. Both boys managed to turn the cave of nightwings room into a liveable space. "I didn't think…. I didn't think he took it that hard…" Tim remarked still holding the papers as both boys walked out of the room. "well… they were the best of buds I'm not surprised but seeing that was shocking…" patting tim's shoulder they both went to the kitchen only to see nightwing propped up at the table staring at the steaming bowl of soup M'gann and Tim prepared for him.

"Hey, you got to eat or I'm shoving an IV drip in your arm!" sitting next to dick, superboy watched every little movement he made. A minute went by with no movement from nightwing until he brought his hand up to the table. Everyone tried to watch without staring, but when he reached for the spoon they all nearly gawked. But Conner was soon holding his own face in his hands as dick let his arm drop back to his side. "Right… iv drip it is…"


End file.
